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Henryk, a frequent poster on my blog just sent me this video. It’s a wing mechanism by Pascal Martinelli. And I have to say it looks very promising. It would be interesting to see how this combines with my haptic controlling system.

After my first testrun I had to reconsider my take-off techniques. A lot of people have commented on the way my wings move and my running; the AoA of the wings would not have been ideal and the position of my body too much a contraproductive angle.

But ever since the beginning of this project I have been watching these guys, the albatrosses. They have this similar style Continue reading →

These days I have been mainly focused with fixing details of the wings. So, you might have missed my regular updates? A digital friend actually wrote me wether I am still doing ok? I can tell you that I am!

First, thanks to all who have sent me very useful technical advise & help! It helped me refocus on what needed to be done after the first testflight. Continue reading →

I got a lot of comments on the last video in which you can see my first test of the wings. The response was massive, not just on my YouTube channel but also on a lot of other blogs. (check Engadget, TechCrunch, Discovery Channel)

Some people really loved it and support what I am doing. But of course there was also a lot of criticism. Some were pessimistic and blatantly negative, but most were useful! Either way a very fruitful discussion.

For me this project is all about my dream, the seamingly impossible and pushing the limits of human capabilities and technical applications. I am happy that still a lot of people are willing to share this dream with me.

You should read this post on techblog Next Nature. They caputered my point perfectly.

“Arguably, the most desirable technologies are the ones that that take the human condition as a cornerstone. They resonate with our human senses, feel natural, empower people and that realize the dreams people have of themselves. For lack of a better word we call them ‘humane technologies’. Now here is an example what might be the most humane technology since the invention of the bicycle. Dutch mechanical-engineer Jarno Smeets dreams of flying like bird. “

The wings did their job! The stakes were high for me, so I was disappointed that I only made a tiny hop in the air. But it worked!

While I was getting bored with the bad weather, I tried the wings in the factory floor below my workplace earlier. And that tiny pre-test proved that I could go outdoors to try the real thing. Although the weather this week didn’t look good at all! Yesterday in the afternoon the sun returned for just a couple of hours. So I prepared the wings with my crew a.s.a.p. and jumped in the van to the testinglocation.

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About the project

Right here, on this blog I share everything about my crazy plan to build my own wings. My goal? To fly with it! Something Leonardo DaVinci, my grandfather and I dreamed of for a long time. But this summer I decided to really start building it. This blog is the result of my experiences of the project. You'll find video's, pictures and text on the progress, my inspiration and all your comments and support.